From August, Chuo Ward in Tokyo will start to razing two "fukko" (revival) elementary schools, and demolish a third one around two years later.
However, architectural experts, local residents and alumni oppose the plan, claiming the buildings have high cultural value and the ward is wasting taxpayer money to build new schools in their stead.
"Akashi Elementary School . . . has an extremely high degree of perfection and density of artistic designs," read a joint statement of three subcommittees of the Architectural Institute of Japan. "It is miraculous that Akashi Elementary School has escaped war damage and postwar redevelopment and that it has been used for over 80 years as an (active) elementary school. It is a precious cultural heritage for Chuo Ward and the Tokyo metropolis," the subcommittees said.